Bottle carrier



1945. G. H. HUTAFF, JR 2,386,859

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 12. 1944 K U jugucntom GEORGEHHUTAFFJR v Q from; 5

Patented Get. 16, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' BOTTLE CARRIER George H. Hutafi, Jr., Wilmington, N. 0.

Application January 12, 1944, Serial No. 518,007

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle carriers of the type provided for the use of shoppers in conveying from and to retail stores, for example, a, lurality of bottles, with or without the contents thereof.

customarily the bottles for soft drinks or the like have a slight bulge or beaded neck portion to which the commonly used cap or stopper is applied, and my aim is to provide a carrier of rigid and permanent formation, capable of repeated uses, compact and readily carried when not in use, and readily and securely engaged with the bottles to prevent escape thereof when being taken away from a store in filled condition or later returned as empties.

It is the common experience that in buying a number of soft drinks, bottled as in keeping with every-day practices, one encounters difliculty in carrying the same in a safe manner because the bottles, usually wet or moist on the exterior, are more-or-less slippery and readily make escape through paper bags or the like, thus creating the demand for a simple, eificient and cheap instrumentality for holding the bottles against liability of breakage by falling, or by contacting each other under shakes or jars, the bottles being almost universally of glass or fragile material.

With all of the foregoing considerations in mind my aim is to providea carrier adapted to be conveniently and comfortably carried by the hand of the user and rendered stable and eflicient by formation from sheet metal parts connected and reinforced to constitute a substantially rigid unit when detachably secured to and locked with reference to the bottles to be conveyed.

Subordinate considerations comprise the formation of a carrier, as stated, wherein a common rigid base member is provided, associated with cooperating pivoted members adapted to grasp series of bottles, the opposite pivoted members being pivoted at common points with reference to a supporting handle, and means cooperating with the opposite members to interlock the same together when in operating position.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated but it will be understood that modifications may be made therein as permitted by the hereto appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete device Fig. 2 is an end view of the same in operating and locked condition.

Fig. 3 is an end view, the parts being shown as separated in unlocked condition; and

Fig. 4 is a top view with parts in the same position as in Fig. 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views A represents a base plate formed of rigid sheet metal, the same having upturned flanges B, the central portion of which has its edges converging upwardly substantially above the base for securement to a handle C, immediately opposite, of sheet metal having an arched central portion D for grasping purposes and downwardly turned ends E lapping the upturned flanges B of the base A, the two being secured together preferably by welding, the ends of the handle and the flanges B being perforated for the reception of pivots F, one at each end of the device.

The opposite edges of the base plate A are provided with recesses or cut-away portions G of semicircular contour adapted to engage the necks of the bottles beneath the normal bead thereof, three of these recesses being shown in each edge but any number being provided as desired and predetermined, in keeping with the expected use of the carrier.

Adapted to cooperate with the said edges of the base plate A are swinging members H and I, they being formed of sheet metal and at their inner (upper) ends overlapping and perforated in alignment with the beforementioned apertures in the overlapping portions of the flanges B and handle extensions to accommodate pivots F passing through the combined openings and turned over at their ends to enable swinging of the members H and I upwardly and downwardly in arcs defined about said pivots, as will be apparent. The lower ends of the pivoted members H and I (there being a pair at each end of the device) are secured to the horizontal flanges K of sheet metal metallic members, the inner edges thereof being similarly provided with semi-circular recesses or openings L in registration with the openings G, in the base plate, to complete the circular gripping portions for the necks of the bottles. flanges of angle plates bent to also provide vertical flanges M extending entirely along the outer edges of the members K and welded at their ends to up-turned flanges N at the ends of the members K, both in turn welded to the swinging members H and I respectively.

Itwill be seen from the foregoing description, that the swinging members H and I with their cooperative bottle-engaging recesses, are adapted to be swung upwardly away from the base plate A when the bottles are to be inserted or removed and they will fall by gravity into bottleholding relationship to the base plate when their combined function at the opposite sides of the bottles will insure a complete surrounding of the neck below the bulge or head of the bottle to enable carrying the latter, it being understood that the diameter of the associated or combined openings in the cooperating plates A and K is slightly less than the corresponding diameter of The flanges K are base or horizontal the bottles intended to be received thereby in a region below the bead or equivalent of the latter.

Reinforcing the device from bending or impairment incident to the impact of the swinging members H and I in their falling movement against the edges thereof as well as against the opposing edges of the base plate A, the upturned ends of the plates K are adapted to contact the ends of flange extensions on the upturned ends B of the base plate A.

Suitable means for locking the swinging members H and I in bottle-holding position against the edges of the base plate A comprises a swinging latch P, again of sheet metal, pivoted at Q to one of arms H and adapted to engage a keeper R, bent outwardly and inwardly from the body of the swinging member I, the engagement between the latch and. keeper being in a downward direction tofacilitate closing under force of gravity, the latch having a downwardly opening slot S to accommodate the swing of the keeper and the latter having a tongue T adapted to overlie the face of the latch to prevent outward loosening thereof from looking engagement. The end of the latch is inclined in keeping with the inclination of the upper edge of the swinging member I and has an outwardly bent finger-hold U presenting a smooth surface to assist in forcing the latch in place or present a flange for engagement of the thumb or finger therebeneath to release the latch and permit swinging of the members K away and upwardly from the base plate A as occasion requires.

I claim:

1. A bottle carrier comprising a base plate formed at its opposite outer edges with openings for the accommodation of beaded bottles or the like, upward extensions on the base plate, a handle connected to the extensions and bridging the space therebetween, and oppositely swinging members at the ends of the base plate pivotally connected to the extensions at an elevated point substantially above the base plate and bearing cooperating members to close'towards each other and inwardly towards the edges of the base plate to complete suspending holds for said bottles, the pivoting of the oppositely swinging members being at a common point at each end of the device and the pivots at the opposite ends of the device being in line, in

formed at its opposite outer edges with openings for the accommodation of beaded bottles or the like, upward extensions on the base plate, a handle connected to the extensions and bridging the space therebetween, and oppositely swinging members at the ends of the base plate pivotally connected to the extensions at an elevated point substantially above the base plate and bearing cooperating members to close towards each other and inwardly towards the edges of the base plate to complete suspending holds for said bottles, the pivoting of the oppositely swinging members being at a common point at each end of the device and the pivots at the opposite ends of the device being in line, in combination with a latch to retain the oppositely swinging members in holding position, said latch being pivoted to one member of a pair of the oppositely swinging members intermediate the ends thereof and engaging a keeper similarly located on its opposite swinging member,

3. A bottle carrier comprising a base plate formed at its opposite outer edges with openings for the accommodation of beaded bottles or the like, upward extensions on the base plate, a handle connected to the extensions and bridging the space therebetween, and oppositely swin ing members at the ends of the base plate Pivotally connected to the extensions at an elevated point substantially above the base plate and bearing cooperating members to close towards each other and inwardly towards the edges of the base plate to complete suspending holds for saidbottles, the pivoting of the oppositely swinging members being at a common point at each end of the device and the pivots at the opposite ends of the device being in line, in combination with a latch to retain the oppositely swinging members in holding position, said latch being pivoted to one member of a pair of the oppositely swinging members intermediate the ends thereof and engaging a keeper similarly located on its opposite swinging member, the latch and keeper having interfitting parts engageable by a downward movement of the latch, and overlapping parts preventing outward disengagement of the latch.

4. A bottle carrier comprising a base plate formed at its opposite outer edges with openings for the accommodation of beaded bottles or the like, upward extensions on the base plate, a handle connected to the extensions and bridging the space therebetween, and oppositely swinging members at the ends of the base plate pivotally connected to the extensions at an elevated point substantially above the base plate and bearing cooperating members to close towards each other and inwardly towards the edges of the base plate to complete suspending holds for said bottles, the pivoting of the oppositely swinging members being at a common point at each end of the device and the pivots at the opposite ends of the device being in line, in combination with a latch to retain the oppositely swinging members in holding position, said latch being pivoted to one member of a pair of the oppositely swinging members intermediate the ends thereof and engaging a keeper similarly located on its opposite swinging member, the latch terminating at one end coincident with the plane of the outer edge of the swinging member provided with the keeper and having an offset portion to present a smooth surface for depressing the latch and projecting finger engageable portion for releasing the latch.

-5. A bottle carrier comprising a base plate formed at its opposite edges with openings for the accommodation of beaded bottles or the like, upward extensions on the base plate, a handle bridging the space between and connected to the extensions, and oppositely supporting members at the ends of the base plate pivotally connected to the extensions at an elevated point substantially above the base plate and bearing cooperating members to swing downwardly and inwardly towards each other and towards the edges of the base plate to complete suspending holds for said bottles, in combination with a latch to retain the oppositely swinging members in holding position, said latch being pivoted to one member of a pair of the oppositely swinging members intermediate the ends thereof and engaging a keeper similarly located on its opposite swinging member.

' I GEORGE H. HUTAFF, JR. 

